Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay was our most anticipated destination of the trip and was definitely the highlight. Fun fact: Bo's original inspiration for wanting to go to Vietnam came from watching The Man with the Golden Gun, a James Bond movie filmed in Ha Long Bay (which Bo made me watch a few days before we left). The bay has thousands of tall limestone rock islands and was unlike anything we've ever seen anywhere else. It was beautiful, though very foggy when we were there so the pictures don't quite do it justice. We were just glad the rain held off and didn't ruin our trip!

our room with a view

We took a ferry boat from port, and boarded a private junk boat where we stayed overnight. There were several boats on the bay doing similar overnight cruises whereas others were there for a week or longer. We had lunch on the boat and cruised around the bay for a while just taking in the scenery. It was such a relaxing day.

We passed several floating villages where many families have lived for their entire lives. I love the water but I don't know how they do that. Pretty much zero socialization, and you sure better not be allergic to seafood! Our guide mentioned that they have a hard time adjusting to life on land if they try. Very fascinating lifestyle.

the "Kissing Cocks"

We anchored in the bay, and tendered to shore to visit one of the many limestone caves, Hang Sung Sot. It was really cool inside, and when we climbed to the top we had a fantastic view of the bay from above.

Soon after we got back to our junk boat, we went on a kayaking excursion to one of the nearby islands, and saw monkeys! Just hanging out, eating bananas, and swinging from tree to tree. It was incredible just watching them.

Dinner on the boat that evening was another delicious seafood meal, and then we had a pajama party! The previous day, we all bought ridiculous pajamas just for the occasion. Lexi won best outfit with her custom Batman onesie she had made in Hoi An - it was amazing.

Up next is our last stop in Hanoi!